The present invention relates to golf balls and, more particularly, to improved golf balls comprising a unique core assembly that utilizes a sulfur cured inner core component. The improved golf balls exhibit enhanced distance and durability properties.
Golf balls traditionally have been categorized in three different groups, namely, as one piece balls, multi-piece solid (two or more pieces) balls, and wound (three piece) balls.
The one-piece ball typically is formed from a solid mass of moldable material which has been cured to develop the necessary degree of hardness. The one-piece ball possesses no significant difference in composition between the interior and exterior of the ball. These balls do not have an enclosing cover. One piece balls are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,545; U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,123; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,612.
The wound ball is frequently referred to as a three piece ball since it is produced by winding vulcanized rubber thread under tension around a solid or semi-solid center to form a wound core and thereafter enclosed in a single or multi-layer covering of tough protective material. For many years the wound ball satisfied the standards of the U.S.G.A. and was desired by many skilled, low handicap golfers.
The three piece wound ball typically has a balata cover which is relatively soft and flexible. Upon impact, it compresses against the surface of the club producing high spin. Consequently, the soft and flexible balata covers along with wound cores provide an experienced golfer with the ability to apply a spin to control the ball in flight in order to produce a draw or a fade or a backspin which causes the ball to xe2x80x9cbitexe2x80x9d or stop abruptly on contact with the green. Moreover, the balata cover produces a soft xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d to the low handicap player. Such playability properties of workability, feel, etc., are particularly important in short iron play and low swing speeds and are exploited significantly by highly skilled players.
However, a three-piece wound ball has several disadvantages. For example, a wound ball is relatively difficult to manufacture due to the number of production steps required and the careful control which must be exercised in each stage of manufacture to achieve suitable roundness, velocity, rebound, xe2x80x9cclickxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d, and the like.
Additionally, a soft wound (three-piece) ball is not well suited for use by the less skilled and/or high handicap golfer who cannot intentionally control the spin of the ball. For example, the unintentional application of side spin by a less skilled golfer produces hooking or slicing. The side spin reduces the golfer""s control over the ball as well as reducing travel distance.
Similarly, despite all of the benefits of balata, balata covered balls are easily cut and/or damaged if mishit. Consequently, golf balls produced with balata or balata containing cover compositions can exhibit a relatively short life span. As a result of this negative property, balata and its synthetic substitute, trans-polyisoprene, and resin blends, have been essentially replaced as the cover materials of choice by golf ball manufacturers by materials comprising ionomeric resins and other elastomers such as polyurethanes.
Conventional multi-piece solid golf balls, on the other hand, include a solid resilient core having single or multiple layers employing different types of material molded on the core. The one-piece golf ball and the solid core for a multi-piece solid (non-wound) ball frequently are formed from a combination of materials such as polybutadiene and other rubbers cross-linked with zinc diacrylate (ZDA) or zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA), and containing fillers and curing agents which are molded under high pressure and temperature to provide a ball of suitable hardness and resilience. For multi-piece non-wound golf balls, the cover typically contains a substantial quantity of ionomeric resins that impart toughness and cut resistance to the covers.
Ionomeric resins are generally ionic copolymers of an olefin, such as ethylene, and a metal salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or maleic acid. Metal ions, such as sodium or zinc, are used to neutralize some portion of the acidic group in the copolymer, resulting in a thermoplastic elastomer exhibiting enhanced properties, such as durability, for golf ball cover construction. However, some of the advantages gained in increased durability have been offset to some degree by decreases in playability. This is because, although the ionomeric resins are very durable, they also tend to be quite hard when utilized for golf ball construction and thus lack the degree of softness required to impart the spin necessary to control the ball in flight. Since most ionomeric resins are harder than balata, the ionomeric resin covers do not compress as much against the face of the club upon impact, thereby producing less spin. In addition, the harder and more durable ionic resins lack the xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d characteristic associated with the softer balata related covers.
As a result, there are currently more than fifty (50) commercial grades of ionomers available, both from DuPont and Exxon, with a wide range of properties which vary according to the type and amount of metal ions, molecular weight, composition of the base resin (i.e. relative content of ethylene and methacrylic and/or acrylic acid groups) and additive ingredients, such as reinforcement agents, etc. A great deal of research continues in order to develop golf ball cover compositions exhibiting not only the improved impact resistance and carrying distance properties produced by the xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d ionomeric resins, but also the playability (i.e. xe2x80x9cspinxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d, etc.) characteristics previously associated with the xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d balata covers, properties which are still desired by the more skilled golfer.
Most professional golfers and good amateur golfers desire a golf ball that provides good distance when hit off a driver, control and stopping ability on full iron shots, and high spin for short xe2x80x9ctouch and feelxe2x80x9d shots. Many conventional two-piece and thread wound performance golf balls have undesirable high spin rates on full shots. The excessive spin on full shots is a sacrifice made in order to achieve more spin on the shorter touch shots. Consequently, it would be desirable to produce a multi-piece golf ball that exhibited low spin on full iron and wood shots and high spin in the xe2x80x9ctouchxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d shots which occur with the high lofted irons and wedges around the green.
Accordingly, a wide variety of golf balls have been designed and are available to suit an individual player""s game. In essence, different types of balls have been specifically designed or xe2x80x9ctailor madexe2x80x9d for high handicap versus low handicap golfers, men versus women, seniors versus juniors, etc. Moreover, improved golf balls are continually being produced by golf ball manufacturers with technological advancements in materials and manufacturing processes.
Although these highly specific balls satisfy many of the playing demands of the consumer group to whom the balls are directed, there still remains a need for an improved golf ball.
Moreover, a number of multi-piece solid balls have also been produced to address the various needs of the golfing populations. The different types of material used to formulate the core(s), cover(s), etc. of these balls dramatically alters the balls"" overall characteristics.
In this regard, various structures have been suggested using multi-layer cores and single layer covers wherein the core layers have different physical characteristics. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,714,253; 4,863,167 and 5,184,828 relate to three-piece solid golf balls having improved rebound characteristics in order to increase flight distance. The ""253 patent is directed towards differences in the hardness of the layers. The ""167 patent relates to a golf ball having a center portion and an outer layer having a high specific gravity. Preferably, the outer layer is harder than the center portion. The ""828 patent suggests that the maximum hardness must be located at the interface between the core and the mantle, and the hardness must then decrease both inwardly and outwardly.
Similarly, a number of patents for multi-piece solid balls suggest improving the spin and feel by manipulating the core construction. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,964 relates to a solid golf ball having a core diameter not more than 32 mm, and an outer layer having a specific gravity lower than that of the core. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,193, it is suggested that a curable core elastomer be treated with a cure-altering agent to soften an outer layer of the core. U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,281 is directed towards a three-piece solid golf ball which has an inner core having a specific gravity greater than 1.0, but less than or equal to that of the outer shell which must be less than 1.3. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,848,707 and 5,072,944 disclose three-piece solid golf balls having a center and an outer layer of different hardness. Other examples of such dual layer cores can be found in, but are not limited to, the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,781,383; 4,858,924; 5,002,281; 5,048,838; 5,104,126; 5,273,286; 5,482,285 and 5,490,674. It is believed that all of these patents are directed to balls with single cover layers.
Although satisfactory in many respects, a need still exists for a golf ball which exhibits an improved combination of properties that would lead to overall better playability, xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d and sound (i.e. xe2x80x9cclickxe2x80x9d sound when struck with a club) over currently available golf balls.
The present invention satisfies the noted objectives and provides, in a first aspect, a golf ball comprising a center core component formed from a polybutadiene and a sulfur curing agent. The golf ball further comprises at least one core layer disposed about the center core component. The core layer component is preferably formed from a polybutadiene and a peroxide curing agent. The golf ball further comprises at least one cover layer disposed over the core layer.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a golf ball comprising a spherical inner core or center component formed from a particular polybutadiene and one or more specific types of sulfur curing agents. The golf ball further comprises one or more core layers disposed on the inner core component. The core layer is formed from a particular type of polybutadiene and one or more specific types of peroxide curing agents.
And in yet another aspect, the present invention provides a golf ball comprising an inner core component, at least one core layer formed about the inner core, and at least one cover layer on the core layer. The inner core is formed from a sulfur curing agent and exhibits a Shore A hardness of from about 60 to about 90. The core layer is formed from a peroxide curing agent and is significantly harder than the inner core. The core layer has a Shore D hardness of from about 40 to about 60.
Accordingly, one aspect or feature of the present invention to provide a multi-piece, non-wound, solid core golf ball. The preferred core uses a multi-layer construction that includes two or more polymeric components, with at least one of the components being sulfur cured. The polymeric components that comprise the core are such that the moment of inertia may be adjusted to enhance the spin properties of the ball.
Another aspect or feature of the present invention is to provide a golf ball construction that utilizes a multi-layer core assembly enclosed by a multi-layer cover. The ball uses a multi-layer cover with an appropriate cover hardness and a core assembly having a core moment of inertia that produces a good xe2x80x9crollxe2x80x9d when struck with a driver. However, the multi-layer cover is sufficiently soft to permit deformation upon impact with a club, thereby increasing the contact area between the ball and club, resulting in less scuffing and more resistance to undesirable cover cutting or abrasion.
Another aspect of the present invention is combining a dual core assembly and a multi-layer cover in such a manner as to achieve desirable features associated with certain previously known golf balls.
A further aspect is the provision for a golf ball having a soft outer cover layer with good scuff resistance and cut resistance coupled with relatively high spin rates at low club head speeds.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a dual core component golf ball wherein the center core component has a lower specific gravity than the outer layer core component.
Another aspect of the present invention is the provision of a dual core component golf ball wherein the outer layer core component of the dual core component has a specific gravity that is greater than the specific gravity of the outer cover layer of the golf ball.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of a dual core component golf ball with a multi-layer cover disposed about the dual core component wherein the outer layer of the multi-layer cover has a Shore D hardness that is less than the Shore D hardness of the inner cover layer of the multi-layer cover.
Still another aspect of the present invention is the provision of a dual core component golf ball with a multi-layer cover in such a manner as to incorporate a desired moment of inertia.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should, however, be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.